Western games aren't common in the gaming industry, aside from a few exceptional examples. Two of the biggest Western games come from Rockstar Games, and its talented developers reinvented an arcade-like shooter into something much greater. The humble beginnings of Read Dead Revolver in 2004 helped spawn two of the most influential open world games to date, with Red Dead Redemption and its prequel showcasing its chops frequently.
It's hard to pick favorites from these games, considering the sheer amount of set pieces between both games. The arcs of Dutch's gang, Arthur Morgan, and John Marston throughout both games are some of the best pieces of storytelling in Western media overall and especially in games. Here are some of the standout moments, in both Red Dead Redemption games, that make the franchise as impactful as it is.
Honorable Mentions
First, there are a ton of memorable moments throughout both Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption 2 that are unforgettable, but in less critical capacities. The remainder of this list has some of the most profound and impactful moments from both games, but there are quite a few scenarios in both games that aren't necessarily revolutionary examples yet are exceptional moments nonetheless.
Of course, it wouldn't be a greatest hits of a Western story without highlighting a proper gunslinging duel. That being said, dueling in both Red Dead Redemption games is typically reserved for random encounters and some combat set pieces. There's really only one specific duel from both games that has the most impact, and that's from Jack Marston avenging his father against Edgar Ross. Not only does he get his revenge in the moment, but Jack killing Edgar Ross brings the whole cyclical culture of violence that Dutch's gang has cultivated full circle.
There are also quite a few extraneous scenarios that occur between both games that serve as distractions from the main story. Frankly, Red Dead Redemption has an entire Undead Nightmare expansion about zombies that's definitely notable, if not extremely campy and weird. Notable examples from Red Dead Redemption 2 are Arthur's escapades with Lenny during a drunkenly night on the town after he's rescued from a lynching. Then there's the entire Guarma section, where several of Dutch's gang are stranded on a random tropical island after a shipwreck. Both games have their own strange and unique moments, as per the usual Rockstar Games flair of absurdity.
Destroying Braithwaite Manor
Arguably when Dutch's gang was at their peak in Red Dead Redemption 2 was the story arc involving the kidnapping of young Jack Marston. Jack ends up getting kidnapped by the Braithwaite family after a Hatfield-McCoy style feud involves Dutch's gang. During a time of initial strife for every member of Dutch's gang, through all their worries and fears, the whole group still bands together to rescue John Marston's son. The cinematic nature of the gang approaching the manor, along with the ultimate torching of the homestead, is one of the most iconic moments throughout Red Dead Redemption 2. Even through all of the tragedies, this moment reflected the true strength of Dutch's gang.
Arthur's Diagnosis
The moment Arthur realizes his life is a ticking time bomb is one of the most shocking and powerful moments in Red Dead Redemption 2's story. At first it seems so surreal, because Arthur seemingly falls over in Saint Denis out of nowhere. The brilliance of the moment is that there's very little indication that this could've been possible, and only the vaguest hint from a money-lending mission paints the full picture. Arthur was always the enforcer, the tough guy, taken down by a progressive disease that at the time was devastating. The following spiritual vision lays out Arthur's current honor level, basically presenting Arthur an ultimatum on how he wants to live out the rest of his life.
The Dismantling of Dutch's Gang
Moments like the botched bank heist in Saint Denis, meddling in the affairs of the Native Americans and the Army, and attacking Leviticus Cornwall's oil fields all resulted in pain and suffering for Dutch's gang. Dutch's delusions of grandeur continually put the gang in trouble to the point where trust and loyalty was lost in favor of his greed and perverse perception of survival. Micah Bell was pivotal in turning Dutch against Arthur and the gang, manipulating him to believe they'd betrayed him. Arthur was the only one to stand up to Micah's manipulations, all the way up until the very end on that mountain. It hurts to watch Arthur continue to suffer for the good of the people he loves, which is why Arthur's showdown with Micah and ultimate demise is one of the greatest moments in Red Dead Redemption period.
American Venom
For a game with the word "redemption" in its title, it's obvious that a lot of the redeeming moments in Red Dead Redemption are some of its best. In particular, John's final showdown with Micah and Dutch ends Red Dead Redemption 2 in the strongest way possible. As the culmination of John's character development prior to his own redemption story, he and Sadie are finally able to close out Arthur's story as well. Taking down Micah and finally severing their ties with Dutch made sure all of Arthur's sacrifices weren't in vain. Not to mention, this shootout is an emotional high for players after making it through the near 60 hour journey of Red Dead Redemption 2 before John's epilogue.
Heading Down South to Mexico
Finally jumping into John Marston's side of the story, Red Dead Redemption's journey across the American west and Mexico is perhaps what made the game so enthralling for players. Chasing Bill Williamson from the Fort Mercer assault all the way into the Mexican revolution, coincidentally with Javier Escuela in tow, was what made the franchise so interesting to fans. The mystery of John Marston's past slowly unravels as he's finally able to take down these major players from Dutch's former gang. John heading to Mexico for the first time is incredibly emotional, with Jose Gonzalez's "Far Away" echoing in the background as one of the most memorable scenes in the franchise's history.
And the Truth Will Set You Free
Arguably, this scene was made powerful only after the context of Red Dead Redemption 2's story. Dutch had always seemed like this enigmatic villain during Red Dead Redemption's story that John always seemed to bring up as a fool. John's conversations and side narrative throughout the story fleshes out Dutch's character, but only after Red Dead Redemption 2 does the assault on Dutch's hideout in Cochinay become more potent. Dutch's musings prior to his death in Red Dead Redemption begin to make more sense as players understand what he did to dismantle the gang and cause so much suffering to John and Arthur's lives.
Beecher's Hope
Of course, even after all that, John's eventual death at the end of Red Dead Redemption is still easily the most memorable moment in the series' history. Even with the new context of Red Dead Redemption 2's prequel storyline, John's tale of redemption and his demise is made all the more emotional for fans. Not only that, but his death reinforces the whole series' main moral lesson in the cyclical nature of violence and resistance to change. Especially when the slow-burning epilogue of Red Dead Redemption finally starts to make fans feel like a happy ending is coming, Edgar Ross and the Pinkertons ripped player's hearts out one last time.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.